New 7 month old - advice wanted!

[Trinavian]

Hi there!

So, I'm a new owner of a 7 month old Indian ringneck who I named Chartreuse. They were handfed as a baby but wasn't touched much afterwards. I'm not entirely new to bird, I had a couple of love birds, and my beloved Sun Conure who had complications with epilepsy and passed a while ago.

The thing is, an Indian Ringneck was my dream bird, and I wanted to take this chance, but my sun conure was hand raised - by me. This bird is a 7 month old, and is obviously afraid of touch. I really, really like it (I think it may be a boy because it has a dark ring beginning to form, and already has that black line across its eyes)

Today is day three. I've been sitting next to the cage and talking to him. So far, he doesn't mind if I'm super close to the cage anymore. He even grooms himself next to me which I assume means he's getting a bit comfortable.

He also allows me to enter his cage to give him treats when I enter the room, a tip I think I read here, as I've been researching this for a while. (I didn't make an account but I've been reading and archiving info)

The thing is, I get very anxious easily, and all the horror stories about trying to tame ringnecks has me worried, even though it's so early. I just wanted advice and to know if I'm doing a good job.

His cage is in my room, since I'm his primary owner, I want him to know me. I keep the windows open for him, and don't let the rest of my family come inside too much.

When I remove his cover when the sun rises, I make sure to eat my breakfast next to the cage. I sit next to him and talk to him in a high pitched, soothing voice, and if I don't know what to say I just sit and do other things next to him. If I leave the room, I have a treat stash where I'll give him a treat when I come in. His main diet is pellets. For treats, I Typically a bit of millet, but I'm mainly giving him vegetables right now to see which ones he likes so I can start incorporating them into his main diet, as I believe the previous owner never gave him vegetables.

I have not attempted to touch him. I merely sit next to the cage. I have also tested having my hand near the cage, and he seems fine.

I just want to know if I'm doing things right, or if there's more I could do. I really love him/her and I want this to work out.

 

[Laurasea]

Bird trick you tube videos. Are great. Rgey have info on target training tgst might really help you.

 

[Trinavian]

Thanks! I’ve been at a bit of a loss on what to do because he’s already very comfortable with my presence next to the cage and haven’t been sure what to do to strengthen our physical bond, but touch training and then step up training would probably be a good next step. Is 7 months still a fairly impressionable age?

 

[Laurasea]

I'm sorry your thread has been missed! Sometimes people don't have any new ideas too.
A proper welcome to the forum to you!! Congratulations on your ring neck.

We have a member who breeds them, and would usually offer advice. But she hasn't been active lately . Silver Sage avairy I think...if I can find she has articles and links.

Yes i believe it can be hard with a non tame ringneck. But i know one of the breeders sge took in became friendly. No story is written in stone.

Target training will really help you move forward. As will layering postive association with you.

I recently bought an extremely hand shy young quaker. Target training, hand feeding treats, are working, but its slow going, and I'm not near being able to start step up training .

Ok off to look for stuff for you
Here is a li k to her aviary, I know she has good articles there
http://silversageaviaries.com/

https://blogpamelaclarkonline.com/2018/06/19/teaching-a-fearful-parrot-to-step-up/

[ame="https://youtu.be/tcxyuvE_tZ0"]Alexandrine Parakeet | Target Training - YouTube[/ame]

 

[fiddlejen]

You mention you "keep the windows open" for the bird. Presumably you have screens? Whenever you get to the point where you are opening the cage, either to reach in or to encourage bird to come out, please be careful always to make sure the windows are fully screened, or else closed.

 

[Trinavian]

Yeah, I have screens on my windows. I’ve been letting him out because he’s been going back to the cage, but he doesn’t seem receptive to wanting to touch train or step up, he still flies away. But if I don’t pay attention to him because I’m doing something he’ll scream for me to come over, so I’m very confused about our relationship right now lol

 

[wrench13]

Have you determined what his very favorite, gotta have it treat is? That will be his Achilles heel as far as taming. For my small Amazon Salty, its pine nuts. Shelled pine nuts, available in most supermarkets. Small pieces of them. But really, experiment a bit. For some parrots its a peanut(shelled ), walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds (shelled) etc etc. Once you find it, training will become a lot easier, because most parrots can be BRIBED! You wheedle your way into their greedy little hearts.

 

[Trinavian]

I’ve tested out a few treats but I’m not sure how to tell which is number one favorite is. He really likes Millet and Strawberry but I’m not sure which is the best of the best. Also I haven’t tried any nuts yet so I wonder if that could be one. Maybe I should see if I gave him millet and strawberry at once which he’d choose first?

 

[Trinavian]

So, getting him used to me is still progressing but I think he’s starting to do some weird focalization and I wanted to see if anyone had this experience? Instead of just screaming he’s now starting to quietly mumble to himself and his pupils are pining/shrinking like they do when they say a phrase they
Learned from a human. Is he trying to learn how to say something? I’m not sure I get why he’s doing it so I dunno. My sun conure never talked before so I’m new to speaking birds

 

[Laurasea]

I think he is practicing words, i had a parrot who would mumble practice before springing the new word on me one day.

Thank goodness a break in the screaming!!! I hear ya I git a screamer quaker myself

 

[Trinavian]

That’s exciting to hear he might be practicing words! I have his cage close to me so we’ve been in close contact, and I’ve practiced putting my hand in the cage and he doesn’t freak out anymore, just stays away from it. I don’t mind if he never lets me pet him but my main goal is to train him to step up/ sit on me, my shoulder, basically be around and come to me. But, he seems to have no interest in training even if I bribe him with food. He still screams when he’s alone though, and wants me nearby.

And this new behavior just started today. He’s done it twice now. He’ll scream for a while, then all of a sudden get real quiet, saying some gibberish and the eyes as I described. If he’s practicing a word I’m VERY impressed, this is only his second week home with me!

EDIT: He took a treat from my hand today!!! I had half a spring of millet and he actually took it from me!

 

[Trinavian]

So he’s consistently been taking food from my hand (although still timidly) but we had a bit of an incident. The bird lives in my room but he managed to fly out and escape, and I had to catch him with a towel. Let’s just say he was not happy, and I got bit. I hope I didn’t make him hate me forever now...